Cambodia urged to raise tobacco taxes

The World Health Organization and the Cambodia Movement for Health Organization have urged the Cambodian government to increase tobacco taxes, reports the Khmer Times.

Cambodia levies comparatively low taxes on tobacco products. Domestically produced cigarettes attract a duty of 25 percent, and imported cigarettes are taxed at a rate of 31 percent. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Cambodian tobacco product taxes are 20 percent lower than in other ASEAN countries.

According to the WHO, increasing tobacco taxes is the single most effective way of reducing tobacco use and associated health problems. A recent WHO study found that raising the price of a pack of cigarettes by KHR500 ($0.12) now would not only deter at least 30,000 people from smoking next year but also prevent 10,000 deaths in the next 10 years and generate tax revenues of approximately $53 million per year.

Between 2011 and 2021, the number of smokers in Cambodia increased from 1.47 million to 1.63 million, according to the Public Health Centre.